Holder for artist&#39;s supplies



May 3, 1960 w. H. SMITH HOLDER FOR ARTISTS SUPPLIES Filed June 10, 1958 INVENTGR.

W/Z/M- A. `574/76/ m H. Sam

United States Patent HOLDER FOR ARTISTS SUPPLIES William H. Smith, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application June 10, 1958, Serial No. 741,191

2 Claims. (Cl. 21165) The present invention is directed to a holder for artists supplies, and more particularly to a holder which permits a large number of artists supplies, such as pastels, pencils, brushes, etc. to be arranged and retained in an orderly manner within a conned area.

The working artist, such as a commercial artist, requires a relatively large number of supplies for his day to day Work. These include a plurality of brushes, pencils, crayons, pastels, etc. The number of these items is such that a hard-pressed artist is prone to let them be strewn over his work area. This makes for a disorganized ap preach, and sloppy and relatively slow working habits.

The situation is complicated by the fact that conventional artists supplies come in a variety of sizes and cross-sectional shapes. Thus, the shapes which artists supplies may assume range from circular cross-sectional materials of constant or varying cross-section, such as brushes and certain pencils, to hexagons in the case of other pencils, to square cross-sectioned materials, such as pastels, etc. Furthermore, the height of the various artists supplies used by ya practicing artist varies from relatively short materials, such as pastels, to relatively long materials, such as brushes.

The aforesaid irregularities in both height and crosssection have led to serious difficulties in connection with the design of holders for artists supplies.

This invention has as an object the provision of -a holder for artists supplies.

This invention has as another object the provision of a holder for artists supplies which will retain conventional artists supplies within a conned area in a Well organized disposition.

'Ihis invention has as yet another object the provision of a holder for artists supplies in which the supplies are retained in upright disposition and are readily available for use by the artist-user.

This invention has as a still further object the provision of a holder for artists supplies in which the supplies are retained substantially perpendicularly to the supporting surface.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts:

Figure l is a perspective view of the holder for artists supplies of the present invention.

Figure 2 isa view taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1 with parts broken away for clarity of presentation.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified embodiment of the holder of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the holder for artists supplies of the prment invention is designated generally as 10.

The holder 10 comprises a generally rectangular base 12 which may be molded of plastic, 'or formed from metal or'wood. The base 12 is preferably formed as a unitary hollow member having an outer floor 13 on which it is supported. The base 12 includes the vertical outer walls 15 and the vertical inner walls 17 which are joined together by the at ceiling 19.

The vertical inner walls 17 comprise the upper inner wall portion 17a and the bottom inner wall portion 17b, the upper inner wall portion 17a comprising but a minor fraction of the total height of each inner wall 17. As seen particularly in Figures 3 and 4, the upper inner wall portion 17a is olset outwardly from the bottom inner wall portion 17b by the shoulder 14 which is disposed substantially horizontally intermediate the upper inner wall portion 17a and the bottom inner wall portion 17b of each of the inner Walls 17. tioned at the same position from the ceiling 19 on each of the four inner walls 17, the four inner walls 17 being substantially identical. The shoulder 14 and the upper inner wall portion 17a of each of the four inner walls 17 dene a mouth on the upper portion of the base.

A grate 16 is carried on the shoulders 14 of the four inner walls 17. The grate 16 comprises a grid formed of identical squares, each of whose internal dimensions in somewhat greater than the cross-sectional dimensions of a standard pastel, such as the pastels designated 22 in Figures l, 2, and 4. The partitions forming the grate 16 should have a sulcient width so as to separate individual pastels and the like so as to permit facile digital selection by the artist of an individual pastel.

The grate 16 should preferably have a height somewhat greater than the height of the upper inner wall portions 17a of the vertical inner walls 17. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the grate 16 has a height double that of the upper inner wall portions 17a of the vertical inner walls 17 so that one-half of the height of the grate 16 is exposed. Byhaving the grate 16 project upwardly a small distance above the ceiling 19 of the base 12 facile removal of the grate 16 from the base 12 may be accomplished.

The inner iloor 18 of base 12 is spaced from the grate 16, the height of such spacing being the vertical height of bottom inner wall portion 17b. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner oor 18 is spaced from the outer floor 13, but if desired, the bottoms of the generally semispherical cavities 20 of the inner tloor 18 may be raised somewhat from the outer floor 13.

The generally semi-spherical cavities 20 of inner iioor 18 are disposed in aligned disposition in respect to the openings in the grate 16. A single generally semi-spherical cavity 20 is provided for each of the openings in the grate 16. As seen in Figure 2 the diameter of the circle at the top of each of the generally semi-spherical cavities '20 is but slightly less than the inside dimension of one of the sides of its juxtaposed square-shaped opening in the grate 16. The generally semi-spherical cavities 20 are provided with inverted hollow generally conical sockets 21 at their oor.

The presence of the semi-spherical cavities 20 in the inner oor 18 enables the artists supplies, such as the pastels 22, paint brushes 24, and pencil 26 shown in the drawings, which have cross-sections comprising a square, a circle, 4and a hexagon respectively, to be maintained substantially vertical. The sockets 21 serve to center and maintain substantially vertical supplies having narrow ends, such as the brushes 24 (see Figure 3). This avoids the tilting of any of the aforesaid artists supplies and the interference which would result from such tilting.

Patented May 3, 1960` The shoulder 14 is posi--l t As the grate 16 is removable from' the base 12, the

holder 10 mayy be readily cleaned of any chips or the like'which may fall onto the inner oor 18. The present invention ccmprehends xedly secured grates although the `saine are not as desirable as removable grates because of the difliculty Vincident to cleaning holders comprising a; xedly secured grate. lIn the modified embodiment shown in Figure 5, the semi-spherical cavities 20 and their conical sockets 21 are replaced by inverted'hollow conical cavities 30. In all other respects the embodiment of Figure 5 is identical to the embodiment of Figures l through 4. The holder of-the present invention permits a large number of varied supplies to be retained in orderly fashion within -a confined area. As the Working ends ofthe supplies are retained free from Contact with either other supplies or the holder 10, the possibility of damage to the working ends of the supplies, such as to the bristles of brushes `or to the points of pencils, is avoided.

Y The presentinvention may be embodied in other spe'-Y ciiic` forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and accordingly, reference should be made tothe appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specication as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim: n l. A holder for artists supplies including a base hav- Vingaan upright wall" portion and an inner iioorV extending substantially across said wall portion, a mouth `on the upper portion of said base de'ned 'by said upright wall portion, a shoulder on said jlpright Wall portion spaced beneath said mouth, a grate comprising a plurality of spaced openings received within said mouth, said grate resting on said shoulder, the inner oor of said base below said mouth having a. plurality of uniformly spaced generally semi-spherical cavities integrally formed in said base, with each of said cavities being matingly aligned with an opening in said grate each of said cavities being provided with an inverted hollow generally conical socket at its floor.

2. A holder in accordance with claim l in which the grate is removably received within the mouth of the base.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 

